This invention relates to computer enclosures.
Computers used in a rack-mount setting have traditionally had an industrial look that is not well suited for an office environment. One reason for the difference in appearance between rack-mount and office computers is that cooling considerations are often more important in the rack-mount setting because of the close proximity of the computers in the rack. In the office setting, computers are typically not located so closely together, and other considerations such as noise and aesthetics apply. Numerous solutions have been proposed to enclose a rack-mount computer so that it could be used in an office-type setting, but such solutions have typically resulted in high cost and difficulty in accessing the internal components of the computer.
In one aspect, the invention includes a configurable computer enclosure that can be used to cover a computer for use in an office setting, or that can be removed from the computer for use in a rack-mount setting. A configurable enclosure according to the invention may be constructing using one identical panel in two different places. The two identical panels may releasably engage opposite sides of the computer to form a shell assembly that encloses the computer.
In another aspect, two panels may be designed so that air flow passages to and from the inside of the computer are maintained even when the panels are attached to the computer. A shell assembly formed by the panels may be substantially taller and wider than the computer itself, thus establishing air cavities between the enclosure panels and the surfaces of the computer. Air may pass through these cavities and enter or exit the shell assembly from the front or back for cooling purposes.
In another aspect, the panels may be releasably attached to the computer by means of hooks on the panels that engage corresponding holes on the computer. A resilient catch may be used to secure the panel to the enclosure once the hooks are engaged with the holes.
In another aspect, the shell assembly may be placed on its side into a pedestal for use in an office setting. Tabs on the back of the enclosure panels and protrusions on the sides of the panels may be used to secure the shell assembly into the pedestal.
In another aspect, the internal components of the computer may be accessed for service without removing either of the enclosure panels from the computer. Rather, the enclosure panels may remain attached to the computer while an access panel of the computer itself is removed.